Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of the common general knowledge in the field.
Games in which the outcome is determined by chance are well known. Some such games have even been specifically designed for play before a television audience.
Games of chance may be divided into two groups: In one group, the number of possible outcome combinations is generally very high, such that the chance of a match with a particular user-selected combination is very small. Accordingly, there are relatively low numbers of ‘winners’ per draw, with the result that the winnings may be a relatively large multiple of the stake. For example, in “Lotto”, a succession of uniquely numbered counters is drawn at random from the overall pool of such counters. The draw is conducted in a television studio, the result of each draw being displayed to a television audience. To prolong excitement, counters may be drawn in succession, or over a period. If a member of the audience is able to match the drawn number combination with their user-selected predetermined combination, that audience member is a game winner. In other lotteries, for example, a sequence of, say, 6 digits is drawn to yield a random 6-digit number. It is noteworthy, in this context, that games having a relatively high number of combinations often incorporate consolation prizes. Players who collect these consolation prizes often claim to have “won”.
An apparatus suitable for games of this kind is described in United States patent No. U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,728, whereby numbers may be selected at random. For example, six numbers may be selected from 40, to designate a winning lottery number pool. There are 40 balls, six being of a different colour to the remaining 34; these are mixed randomly and then fall arbitrarily into a conduit whereby all 40 balls are arranged in a random sequence which is fed in succession into a wheel having peripheral receptacles, such that each receptacle successively receives the next ball of the sequence. Each receptacle is numbered and those numbers corresponding to the six differently coloured balls define the six numbers selected as the random outcome. By turning the wheel slowly disclosure of the outcome of the draw may be prolonged.
Games in this first group have a fixed stake and tend to be perceived by players as having an outcome determined solely by luck.
The second broad group includes games such as roulette, in which fewer combinations are available. With games of this group, a player may wager different amounts on chosen outcomes for each “play” or “spin”. For example, a player may bet on whether the roulette ball will select a particular one of 36 numbered slots; an odd or even number; a black or red number; and so on.
There are 38 numbered slots on an “American” style roulette wheel; said numbers comprise 1 through 36, “0” and “00”. The original “European” style roulette wheel has 37 numbered slots: 1 through 36 and “0”. Curiously, although the wheels in Australian casinos typically have 37 numbered slots, the games are often called “American” roulette. In such games, the odds in favour of various possible outcomes are readily appreciable such that players feel they can optimise their chances of winning by systematic play. As a result, they feel that one can exercise skill in adjusting wagers according to odds. Such games are considered to be more participatory, engaging and entertaining than games falling within the first broad group described above.
Most “experts” agree that systematic play cannot optimise or enhance one's chance of winning at roulette. A number do assert, however, that the use of rigid staking plans and “stop loss” limits do facilitate long term systematic play. Furthermore, each successive spin takes an increment of time, thereby extending the excitement of each game. However, the maximum odds for any particular wager are generally only a small multiple of the overall wager. For example, 35-to-1 for a 36-compartment roulette wheel having one non-paying slot.
Great Britain Patent No. GB 1,113,668 discloses a roulette-type game in which at least two identifiably different balls are used in succession. This facilitates a player placing a “doubles bet” (i.e. equivalent to betting on the outcome of a combination of two successive plays of the wheel), thereby increasing the range of odds available and extending the excitement over a longer period.
United States patent No. U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,113 discloses a game in which six groups of differently coloured balls are simultaneously randomly mixed in six ganged chambers. A gate is activated and one coloured ball from each group is selected at random, thereby yielding a combination of six selected colours. By duplicating colours, a range of odds for various combinations can be provided for each spin. Since the outcome is determined virtually instantaneously upon mixing, this game lacks the excitement of most games in the second group.
There remains an unsatisfied demand for games that provide an apparent simplicity in assessing the odds of various outcomes, which provide scope for wagers covering a range of odds spanning from high, to low probability, and which are exciting to play.
Further, a limitation of games such as “Lotto” is that the selected balls need to be manually removed from the apparatus and re-loaded into the starting position prior to a new game beginning. Alternatively, as each successive ball is selected, the odds of a preselected ball being drawn next must necessarily alter. This is both time and labour-intensive, and manual handling of the gaming balls by the dealer may give rise to a perceptible lack of integrity. Accordingly, there would appear to be a need for a gaming system adapted for continuous play.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art, or to provide a useful alternative.
It is an object of the present invention in a preferred form to provide a new game, which is easy to play, and provides an alternative to known games. It is an object of the present invention in another preferred form to provide a game that is relatively fast, regenerable, adapted for continuous play, and of relatively high integrity with respect to the games of the prior art.
It has been observed world-over, that a majority of casino patrons often closely watched “table games”, but actually only played electronic gaming machines (“EGMs”). One possible explanation for this may be that these patrons were intimidated by the relatively intricate or arcane processes of standard table games, such as Roulette. Such an explanation has been confirmed, subsequently, through extensive, albeit informal, research. The majority of Australian casinos have been monitored by the Applicant, and the above impression has been reaffirmed time after time.
One aim of the present application is to provide a game bridging a universally understood gamble such as “Lotto” and regular casino table games having a perceived barrier of intimidation; and to offer a new form of gaming intended to complement, rather than cannibalise existing casino games. Thus, the present inventive concept could be described as a marriage of Lotto and Roulette. This description is, however, far too simplistic as the game actually incorporates a flexibility that takes it well beyond the simple merging of the two games.